[crispinb]

So many people here are still denying man-made global warming

That isn't really true beyond the margins. Polls show that a large majority of Australians have accepted the science on climate collapse for two decades.

Australians know what's happening, but they believe their wealth can insulate them personally from the consequences while they watch dusky foreigners die. The last federal election contained an implied declaration of environmental war on the Pacific island nations, with the tradeoffs very clearly spelled out in the campaign.

Australia is a rogue nation of self-comforting nihilists, for whom Scott Morrison is a very natural leader.

[bjowen]

“The margins” also unfortunately include the perpetually outraged Alan Jones, and every policy pie his pudgy fingers poke.

+1 on your diagnosis of the cultural problem.

[crispinb]

Yes absolutely, of course. No-one can deny the outsized political significance of those margins along many dimensions (marginal rural constituencies, the Liberal/Nat/LNP right-wing factions, Alan Jones' grumpy gossiping old men, perpetually outraged about anything done by anyone under 60, the Murdoch press, etc).

I guess my point is that these extreme margins gain their power only because of the nihilism of the skittish 'moderate' Australian majority, which knows enough, and cares little about anything of significance.

[yassam]

Good analysis.

I've recently been reading The Australian online, and any time there's a climate related article, there are literally 100s of comments almost all of which are rabid climate deniers. It's stomach churning to read.

No idea how representative of general population, but my gut-feeling is that it's a significant minority, e.g. 10-20%.

[carl_sandland]

Yeah it's depressing, but have you not noticed a change or shift in tone at least in the media ? I'm hopeful this swings the focus back onto science and mitigation, and away from the economy. Every time our PM says "we must balance the environment with a healthy economy for all" I want to explode: what does that even MEAN. Economic activity is a function of human activity and humans need to like... breath?

I've been encouraged by some of the interviews and coverage with local government officials, they seem to be really shocked into a truth: I wish we could do better than a temporary 'concern' over the earth.